


Star Dance

by sorb_aucup



Series: V/Takemura corner [2]
Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Arasaka Ending, Badlands, F/M, Fix-It, The Star ending, return to earth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:47:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28162662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorb_aucup/pseuds/sorb_aucup
Summary: V turns to the Aldecaldos for help. Takemura had a similar idea. The Devil turned The Star ending.
Relationships: Goro Takemura/Female V, Panam Palmer & Female V
Series: V/Takemura corner [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2062842
Kudos: 50





	1. Day 1, Evening

Panam screamed at the top of her lungs, and V sang along at the top of her own voice:„...a ring of rosaries around me...“ - „Pray for me pray for me pray for me - Wohoo!“  
Singing about death felt like a relief. Naming it like defiance. V took a breath and continued yelling while nodding her head in time to the music. Hell yes. She felt so fucking GOOD for a change. They had made it past the border. They had made it past the fucking border unscratched, their floatcar sped into freedom and V ride a high she hadn't come down from yet. No pain. Freedom. Excitement without Johnny and worries and unanswered questions lay ahead of her. And her real worries were at least one week away from her. V leaned back into the cushions of her seat and just smiled, while the dust around them broke and filtered the rays of the sun into a thousand reddish flecks, and the Arizona radio broadcast brought beloved classics and new stuff to them.  
„Wanna TOUCH me wohoo“ „higher and higher, eh eh“ Oh yeah. The things you didn’t admit you listened to were on, and Pam hadn’t found her fucks to give yet about what you should sing to and what not if you wanted to cultivate that image of yours. She grinned, and pushed V’s shoulder softly. V looked at her. Pam’s eyes crinkled. „We will find something for your condition. I have a great feeling about this.“  
„Yeah. Thanks, Pam.“  
The first thing Panam had done when she had found V at the hills around NC had been to push her against the rocks. Hard enough to make V budge. "We would have helped you, asshole. WHY did you go on a solo trip?“ When V had smiled ruefully at her and offered a cigarette, Panam had not calmed down. "We are indebted to you. And we gotta pay you back. By trying to save your life in return, for example. That is fair.“  
V decided that spending the last year of her life on a roadtrip towards hope was actually the very best thing she could do. So she came with Pam.  
There was one last station they needed to stop at on their way to Tucson. „It’ll be night when we arrive, right?“, V asked.  
„Yeah. Inconvenient, but I can’t go faster in this rubble. Enjoy the ride, V.“

V wonders whether she can feel friendship so clearly all of a sudden because these people stood with her when she was on the verge of dying. She smiles at Pam, and climbs atop the float vehicle. It’ll be shitty up there, V thinks, and yeah, she does get a mouthful of dust the moment she climbs out and gasps in surprise at the airstream. She doesn’t care that much, and instead screams towards the sky: „I AM ALIVE!“  
That gets more dust into her lungs. V climbs back in quickly, and coughs. Panam laughs at her, and claps her back, almost tender. „We’re there in an hour.“  
„Crazy“, V mutters.  
„What is?“  
„We were driving for four hours and had no one try to sabotage, stop or attack us. It sets me on edge.“  
„Mmm yeah. Doesn’t happen all that often out here. Definitely enjoy our ride down to Tucson. You should always stay alert and watch out, but the average person on that trail is mostly happy to see someone else instead of trying to get their hide. Even Wraiths usually keep to themselves. As we will. You’ll like it.“ Panam checks their map and nods. „Woah. We made it despite the rubble. ‘Round 15 minutes to go. Check out if you notice a crescent rock formation and any white and grey vans out there. It’s quite possible our thermal scanners are useless here.“

They find the Aldecados camp just shortly after nightfall. V has seen like two out of ten people there before, but she and Panam are expected and V is cheered on like a heroine. She promises to tell them how she fled Arasaka’s clutches later and does the unloading of the freight they brought from NC, while Panam does the distribution and the haggling. After hours of sitting around, V loves the workout. When she finally drops down and accepts a beer and a few energy bars, there are formal introductions.  
Some Aldecaldos were on some pretty long-prepared scavenging and trading trip from the Tucson-Phoenix megacity to Nashville together. They had been travelling in a rather well-balanced group with several experienced scavengers, fighters and two netrunners. They’d camp here for a week, because the Wraiths had been going through and they were looking for trading both information and their loot. If there was something specific or secret they actually transported, well, they were good at not saying so. The camp also gave shelter to three guests, a paying passenger who probably tried to smuggle something out of Arizona and went a little too strong on the synthetic drugs, some taciturn guy with a gang weapon people couldn’t identify who seemed to hide from whoever he’d worked for last, and a woman who, remarkably, had a NC Sixth Street tattoo on her arm. Nobody had asked the 6th Streeter too many questions due to the giant chip on her shoulder and the eddies she’d paid.  
Panam sat down on her jacket, next to V, and showed her the results of her haggling. She was basically glowing with satisfaction, and raised her beer can to V. „I already found us two motorcycles. Mickie here’ll get them and use our floater for some transport gig. We’ll get it back right when we’re back from Tucson. I told him I couldn’t say when we’d be back for sure. We’ll pack our things for the Tucson trip tomorrow; we’ll have all day here. We’ll need to get our bikes in shape ourselves, but that shouldn’t be a problem. We have what we need here.“  
„We really could not have caught a better moment to get here huh?“  
„Nah. The universe is with ya, V.“  
V isn’t sure about that. „Huh. Not sure the universe is all that sentient.“  
„Not religious?“  
„Dunno. You?“  
„Mh. Been calling God’s name too often in a panic to not believe. Yeah, I think there is someone. Everything else would be depressing.“  
They drink to that. Vy cleared her throat. „In fact“, she said. „In fact that moment I saw Earth from the Arasaka station in space, I - when you see that planet you spend your life on from outside for the first time, you feel so much respect, so much - dunno, thankfulness, I guess. Takemura“ and oh, she hasn’t spoken that name in a while, has she. „Guy I did the whole Prove I’m not The Emperor’s murderer stunt with - called me a nihilist once. I thought he was being an ass. Now I think maybe I was.“ Panam listens and smiles sympathetic, but she seems to not wholly understand. V shrugs and smiles at her, lopsided. It’s not that important, anyway.  
She wishes she could get a rise out of that man once more though, and discuss his crooked view of how things should be. And hers. Someone brought out some weed - the good stuff, mixed with essential alkanols. V accepted one drag, but decided to wander the camp instead of sitting there and bragging some more. She grabbed her jacket and walked. The wind whispered over the stones, and got colder. Guards for the night had been organised already; Panam and V, as newcomers, were excused. She met the 7th Street woman, who appeared from a field in the dark. Probably out to take a piss. V nodded, as did the woman. They assessed each other for a moment, then passed. Yeah. Panam was right. V liked this. She listened to the crickets, and checked out their area as far as she could see. Even with her implants, that didn’t go too far. They were pretty sheltered, here; a little aside the main route. V turned back towards the camp. One lone guy sat on the hood of his car, cross-legged, and stared into the distance. No Aldecaldos gang jacket, so that’d be another one of the paying passengers. The flicker of his eye implants indicated that he was probably pretty busy on the net right now. Some coyote or wolf started howling, and V shivered a little. She decided to go to bed a little early and check her mails. She’d never cancelled the rent for her flat in NC. She wanted to call Vik about it once - once she knew more about her situation. She’d also avoided all her private messages for a week now, and should probably change that fast. V nodded to the guard who walked slowly past her and took one last look at the broad-shouldered guy sitting a little forward on his junky car. There was a visible sliver of white under his nondescript leather clothing. Who the fuck wore white under their jacket in the Badlands? Where sweat was a thing that no tech can safe you from? Weirdo.  
It took V a moment to realize what she was seeing, and her breath caught.  
The man had a posture like - "Fuck," V breathed. „No way.“  
The blueish flicker wavered, and the guy turned his head. That silhouette against the dark blue night sky. A manbun. That hunch. That coat.  
V is transfixed and walks closer, still not believing her senses.  
„Hello“, she says, in a neutral-cool voice, because if she is mistaken, she can still just strike up a conversation and then leave as fast as possible.  
He looks at her, but it takes his surprised voice to actually tell her that yes, this is really him. „V-san?“ He moves, slides off the hood of the vehicle. „What a surprise.“  
„Takemura! Damn! You are in America!“  
She approaches the van, and there he is: rough beard, thinning strong hair done up, dark rings under reflecting eyes under heavy eyebrows, eyes V has enjoyed looking into a lot while walking next to him in crowded alleys - all in place. „You left Arasaka?“  
He makes a grim sound, but his body language looks very open. „Again, I did.“  
„But - you are in Hanako’s favour now, aren’t you?“  
„I am in her favour, but also in her way when it comes to company politics. My journey as Arasaka-samas bodyguard is at its end.“  
Wow. V is thrilled to hear that. Because when she had seen him in that conference room, to her utter surprise - he had looked like he belonged there. Like a rock in the heart of the darkness that was Arasaka's company politics. Not into the streets of NC. Not to her. "But your boss is - you know. Was this about honour or making mistakes or something?", she asks.  
„Or something. Yes.“  
„Well I’m glad you are here“, V says honestly. „I thought I’d never see you again.“  
„I also thought it unlikely to find you by chance, out in the Badlands. And so far from your home city.“  
„Which brings us to the most interesting question: Why are you here?“  
Takemura looks at her. It’s dark, but her implants grant additional night vision, and damn has she missed his focused gaze, and that displeased frown when he is asked questions he doesn’t like. She wants to touch him, just a little, his sleeve or something, to make sure he's real. She'd never dared that before, convinced he'd disapprove, and she doesn't now. He corsses his arms, thinks. „It is cold. Maybe we should look for a more private place to talk.“  
V looks around. No warnings are projected by her implant. „Why? Is the guard around?“  
„Yes.“  
„Well“, she drawls „We got the open desert. Or the inside of some car. Also, Pam probably wonders where I’m at. What do you prefer: chit-chat at the fire, or squeezing into Pam and mine’s hovercraft?"  
He hesitates. „I would not like to share my thoughts with the whole gang.“  
„Okay. Let me check Pam and tell her you’re okay and we’re gonna talk.“


	2. Day 1, Night

15 Days earlier

Hanako-sama is a worthy heir to her father. You can see it in her pose; in her impenetrable expression as she stands beside her brother's body, hands clasped.  
Goro suspects that the purge of Yorinobu's close allies outside the board has begun. He isn't in on the classified information anymore. „Arasaka-sama“. He bows deep, the way his boss deserves. „I apologize for failing you.“  
They both know he hasn’t failed. Not really. They also know that this is about face, and politics, and time. They are dancing a dance they both understand; they are actors in a play of which they can fake the text because they both know what is meant.  
He thinks he can hear the faint rumble of a way, way older man in the voice of Yorinobu’s shell. „You were the teacher of the best bodyguards Arasaka has. The death of Saburo Arasaka cannot be blamed on you.“  
„Still, I failed to protect you.“  
„That you did.“ They are quiet, all of them. Arasaka-sama looks out of the window front through which you can see the sun rise into the early morning sky. „I require one last service“, he rumbles. „Before I will let you go.“  
Goro bows his head and waits. „I have one last favour to ask“, he says in return.  
Hanako-sama’s eyes snap to his.  
„I would like to know: What happened to my contact V?“  
They both watch him. Finally, Hanako-sama speaks.  
„She is with our doctors. We offered her a place in Mikoshi, until a body could be found."  
Goro feels a stab of surprise. And of shame, when he realizes that is because he has not expected an offer this magnanimous of Hanako.  
"She refused", his boss continues. "We let her go, as payment for her services. And yours. Her whereabouts aren’t clear.“  
They continue watching him, as he is stunned into silence. How could she have refused this offer? How -  
She is a child of this city, Goro guesses. Unpredictable. Wild. Naive ideas about freedom that lead these people to choices he feels deep regret for.  
He stands and nods to his superiors. „I am glad“, Goro says, at last. „That I had the chance to serve you, Arasaka-sama.“  
„And I am honoured by your service.“ His boss gestures for him to go.  
And just like that, Goro prepares his bosses’ flight back to Japan. When he delivers them to the hands of Oda's team, he is dismissed. He is free to go - on a leash. 

Now 

„So they cast you out? Just like that?“  
„No. I received messages over secure lines. Hanako-sama required me to do business of hers in Phoenix. So I did it, undercover.“  
V is baffled. „So you’re some personal mercenary of them now?“  
Goro sways his head. "No. I am dismissed. But they know where I am. They will contact and find me when they need me."  
„Wow. Crazy.“ V stares out of the hovercraft window. It has gotten completely dark, except for the campfire outside, and some stars. They are so bright. You never seem them from Night City, not like that at any rate.  
She's been there, just two weeks ago. The aftermath of waöking into the Arasaka HQ, cztting Johnny out, flying back to Earth still feels unreal; like she has risen from the belly of the beast, but not as a heroine. Note like a refugee who has found freedom here, in the desert.  
Takemura sits next to her, calm, and watches the area, as well.  
And just like that, V remembers a very specific moment, outside on top of an old industrial complex, on a dirty street, a tense wait, nerves on edge during a discussion, a cat -  
„So as long as they don’t call you, you can just leave everything behind? Become a Nomad, like you wanted to once?“  
Goro sighs contemplatively. „I... I am checking my options. Before making a final decision, I opted for going back to Night City. To tie up loose ends. To visit contacts. The fact that travel between these cities can be slow and give time to think and plan was very welcome.“  
V smiles. „Did you know where I was?“  
„No. I did not have any trace of you. You also did not answer my call when I tried.“  
V’s lungs feel tight. It's the memory of calling Tajemura after he'd abducted Hanako, not sure whether he had maybe survived the assault on the warehouse. Her body is stable, for now. "Shit“, she mutters. „I had to cut some tech out of myself. Security measure. I didn’t want Arasaka to have a too easy time finding me.“  
Goro scowls. „They will find you eventually.“  
„Mh, I’ll take my chances with the desert. It can cover up some stuff. People get lost.“  
He doesn’t disagree, which is remarkable.  
„You could just chill here, you know“, V says. „Join some gang for a while. The Aldecaldos are quite okay. You can be free for some time. Earn money, lay low. Take the easy path, as you once put it.“  
Takemura scowls. „This is not the easy path. Easy is return to Japan, lay low there, earn money with guard jobs to increase my allowance. And do nothing more with my life.“  
That gets V alert. „You think your life is over without Arasaka?“ She had thought like this, once, too. And she had lost all then.  
„I live to serve a cause. Without it, I am adrift.“  
Wow. Some crazy honesty right there. V laughs. "Shit", she mutters. "Johnny said something about how principles define a person. And he despised you. Like you were his opposite or something." Thinking about Johnny still makes her itch for a cigarette. „Okay listen. One thing I saw right away when we were walking to this car was that you look better. You needed to relax. You did relax a little, and it shows.“ V means it.  
Goro thinks, and a comfortable silence fills their narrow space. This. V listens to Takemura breathe and wonders if she gets to keep him; at least for a while. She mutters „Life here really goes differently. Whew. You don’t need to fully join any gang. To them, family comes first. No matter what. That is how you survive. It’s also how you gain this slow rhythm that makes everyone relax some more.“ To her, the corporation had come first once, until she had lost the game. To him, it still did, V guessed. He wasn't free. Hadn't fought his beast. V leans towards Takemura, tries to make him understand. „Try it. Find yourself, whatever. Open up a new chapter. Don't see your situation as a loss. See it as the end of an era in your life. You avenged your boss, honorably and all that." As if Arasaka itself is an honourable corporation. "You have that chance now. Stay some more.“ And wow - how and when has she become anyone’s Jackie in any relationship ever?  
Takemura nods, shortly. „This is what I am doing.“  
“Finding yourself? Turning over a new page? Yeah. But you are not convinced. Like - you will stay an Arasaka guy, right?“  
„Probably." Takemura leans forward a little. He is quiet again, then he turns his head towards her. "You have told me about your trip to space. But not about what happened when you returned."  
V swallows. "I went to my apartment. Wandered the city. Couldn't sleep. I went to see Misty and chickened out when it came to visiting Viktor. Panam found me. And I went with her." V sighs. "I left Arasaka station because - I realized I did want to live to say goodbye. To my friends. To life. To prove to Johnny fucking Silverhand that my life was worth living, even if it was damn short. I noticed that I had gone back to NC just to feel like fleeing again. And now I'm here. I feel - better. And who knows. I might still be alive in spring."  
"You will still die?", Takemura asks, hoarse.  
"Johnny's identity started overriding my cells. My body is attacking me. Pam knows some people who could help, though."  
"Is this why you are with the Aldecaldos?"  
"Yes."  
Takemura's eyes reflect the dim orange glimmer inside their car while his eyes search her face. His head is bowed. He is silent. "I am glad you are still fighting for survival." he says, finally.  
V smiles and feels oh so fond. „Thank you, Goro. That is - so you. And I appreciate it.“  
„What do you mean?“  
„Any other friend of mine would have taken my hand. Offered a shoulder. You know. Granted some comforting touches. Everyone but you.“  
Takemura’s shoulders stiffen a little. „That is not in my nature. Nor in my culture. My sentiments are still honest.“  
„I know. It’s just how we do things in Carolina.“  
He looks at her, then shakes his head.  
His collar is slightly loose and damn, V has wanted to know how far these chrome bits go and where skin starts again for quite some time now.  
More honesty, she had sworn herself. No more hestitating. No more time to lose.  
Takemura sits right there and she wants him to keep respecting her until the end of her life.  
She respects him damn hard and she would like to show him how much right here and now. Haha. Ah, damn.  
„Not me, V.“  
„Pity.“ There. It’s out. She said it.  
Takemura turns his head towards her, and his ganze becomes piercing. „Is touching such an integral part of communication for you, V? I never noticed when we were partners in NC.“  
V wishes for something to give her hands something to do. „It depends on the person I’m with.“ Her heart batters and she tries to calm herself down with some joke. „I wasn’t that wild for any hugs from Saul or, let's say, Dexter. Or Johnny.“  
There is a beat of silence. Takemura hasn’t averted his gaze, though he doesn’t look directly into V’s eyes anymore.  
„I also noticed you called me a friend“, Takemura says eventually.  
„Yeah. Wanna be friends?“  
„I think we might have been for some time. I would very much like to officially be friends."  
He leans back. His waist and hips still look killer, even in his thick leather trenchcoat and these riding boots. V needs to get some space or she’ll do something very dumb. Like, now. „Have ya eaten?“, she asks.  
Takemura scrunches his face, and V laughs outright at him. „Dude. What are you even living on? Come on, give Mick’s dried wolf jerky a chance. Grilled agave leaves are fine, too.“ V enjoys praising these things she isn’t very used to herself yet either. „Both is organic. If you hate it, I’ll eat it. Like in old times.“  
He grins at that. "Can you wait a moment? I need a smoke."  
Takemura nods, and refuses the cigarette she offers him when they step outside. It has gotten noticably colder. They both have invested in some good gear, though, so they stand rather comfortably while V blows smoke out of her mouth. She looks at Takemura, and knows she wants to continue their conversation until forever. „To think - if Saburo hadn’t sent you away, you’d have killed me and Jackie.“ Thinking about Jackie still hurts like crazy. „And where would we be today huh?“  
„I would have interrogated you“, he corrects, a sly grin in his voice. Damnit, she loves this man. There he his, in his hobo trenchcoat, popping his ps and swallowing his bs and just being a welcome sight in general. V smiles at him; she can’t help it.  
Discussing. Planning with him. Doing just about anything with Takemura had felt so good. Focused. Easy. Even fighting about philosophy and life. "I think you grew more cynical over this short time we knew each other", she says. "And I, less. When I saw you in Arasaka tower, I was glad. I thought you were dead after I left you in that warehouse."  
„I do not understand, V-san.“ That 'san' hasn’t been there before, she thinks. „Is regret what I am hearing in your words?“  
V sighs. „Yes. I thought I’d left you to die.“ She can almost hear the people shout, smell the fired guns and the despair in the room. "I tried to get back to you. I shot my way upstairs. But“ Her cig is finished, and she feels a little regretful. "I had to retreat. I didn’t know whether you were alive or dead. Called a few times."  
Takemura is silent for a moment. „You were a partner who watched my back in a situation in which I had expected no loyality. A petty thief instead of a partner.“  
V snorts at him. "Charming. And realistic of you."  
She stubs out her cigarette and puts her hands into her pockets.  
He shadows her with his own characteristic purposeful stride when they walk towards the fire that burns brightly and warm in the middle of the camp.  
Mick yells at them when they arrive, and Pam's easy grin shows V that they all had had their share of pot. Mick seems to be the only one who is bizarrely excited about everything. "That's one leftover portion of stew for you!", he crowns, and gives them the only clean bowl. V also pilfers a spoon off him, and so they sit down right there on the stones with the others. They look Takemura over, but V introduces him as a friend from NC, and so they don't care all that much.  
V quickly scans their surroundings. "Always check for scorpions", she mutters to Takemura. She offers him the spoon and the bowl, but he shakes his head and gestures for her to try first. What a gentleman. V notices that she is, in fact, hungry again, and this agave stew has quite some good stuff in it. She shovels as much in her mouth as she deems polite, and then pushes the bowl towards Takemura.  
He is damn hungry, too, and doesn't even complain. V winks at him. "I told you. It's one of the best things you can get in these parts."  
He huffs. "It has natural ingredients."  
"That a good thing?"  
"Yes."  
"Well the thing is, you never know where exactly that stuff grew. Might have been a waste dump."  
Takemura makes a grumbling noise, and V smiles. Snob.  
The empty bowl now rests between them. V decides to test the waters some more.  
„Damn. Takemura. I’m glad you decided to come here. I thought you were in Arasaka again, busy running errands until the end of your days.“ Unreachable to me.  
He smiles slily. "That is an apt description for how your life looked to me."  
V laughs. "And now look at us. Corpos trying to be Nomads. Especially you. You are such a beginner. You forgot to bring your own spoon, Takemura.“  
He side-eyes her. "Good thing I have you and your useful tips at my side", he says gravely, and V does definitely not disagree.  
The fire is slowly burning down to embers, but they are still warm. Panam and Mick haul some Aldecaldos who had curled around the fire up and to their cars. Better don't fall asleep outside. Mick gets their bowl. Pam comes back, her scarf wrapped around her neck and shoulder, and stokes the fire. "I'll go to sleep", she whispers to V. V nods and grabs Pam's hand for just a moment. "Good night."  
Takemura also wishes Panam a polite goodnight. Pam throws V a look that promises some questions tomorrow.  
The howling of some coyotes can be heard in the distance. V nudges Takemura's foot with hers. "It is possible we ate one of these", she informs him, and points into the direction the pack must be.  
He looks unimpressed.  
V shifts a little to get more confortable "What about your immediate plans, by the way? How long will you stay in this camp?"  
"The camp will move in two days. I was planning on staying with them, until I could acquire another means of transport in Phoenix."  
"Makes sense. Try to befriend some people here if you're bored. They could teach you some stuff, or at least give you some information."  
He shifts, too, surprised. "Are you not staying?"  
"Only those two days. Then, we'll go on to Tucson. Finding a cure."  
"A cure?"  
"For me."  
"Do you have concrete knowledge of your sickness?" "Some info Arasaka have me access to. The best personnel in the world, they say they got. Couldn't do a thing." There is some real, slightly tumultuous emotion in Takemura's eyes. "So your lead is vague?"  
He seems to have moved closer. V looks at her boots. "We will see", she says, noncommittaly.  
"You do not want to let on how big your hopes are", he observes, and V snorts. "That is Arasaka mode right there."  
"What?"  
"Straight to the uncomfortable points, huh?"  
"Perhaps. Do you know if Miss Palmer's contacts can help you?"  
"Not a clue."  
He falls silent for a moment. "Can I be of assistance?"  
Oh damn. V wishes for some good reason to tell him yeah, he can be. She has none. "Not if you move on to Phoenix in two days."  
"Hm."  
V waits. Nothing comes. "Nothing to say?", she asks.  
"Thinking", he replies, not very helpul.  
V snorts at him. When met with passiveness, you goad people; both Arasaka and the streets have taught V that. „You know what they say about Japanese men, and the Tokyo headquarters guys in particular?“  
There is only a subtle twitch to Takemura’s poker face. V grins at him.  
„What do they say?“  
„Foreplay is not really your thing, for one. Second, there is only all-poker-facey nothing or all the action at once and no in between. I can confirm, the whole Arasaka family seems to be dramatic that way.“  
He stares at her. "I do not understand where you are going with this line of thought."  
"Right to your personality. You switched from a good conversation to holding all your cards to your chest. Why?"  
"That is not the impression I intended to make. I am merely thinking about my options. What could I do to help? I am surprised Arasaka has not found a cure for your body, but obscure people from Tucson might."  
"They have good docs in Tucson, I'm sure", V mutters. "You could just come with me. Get intel. Be another brain on the team. If you want."  
"Of course I want to help you. I do not have access to the Arasaka networks anymore, but I do have my channels. I will ask Miss Palmer about what she knows tomorrow."  
"Oh, uh, I'll better be present for that conversation."  
"Very well."  
He is still hurt by the loss of his privileges, V thinks. And no wonder. Arasaka has adopted him, and given him purpose. He has always believed in the big A; the family; the all-encompassing mother. She has punished him despite his best efforts, ans left him adrift. They are silent again. The cold of the desert night starts to creep in, despite her thick clothes. As do the memories, and the things she wanted to do, and never had. V wonders whether the shots she hasn't taken will follow her; like they have followed her into Clouds that drunk evening.  
„Okay, shit. I can’t bear this anymore.“ V takes a deep breath, and another. „Listen. Takemura. Let me be honest. I appreciate your company, and your help. I really do. I also“ Okay, this is harder to say than she thought. Why, damnit. It should be no big fucking deal. V swallows. „I really like-“ Okay. Goro usually chooses his words carefully. V wants to extend the same courtesy to him. „your personality and company.“ She pauses and debates whether she wants to continue with ‘and your body’ or rather with ‘but more than all, I wanna fuck you’.  
Goro Takemura’s eyes widen in surprise for just a fraction of a moment, and he smiles ever so subtly and looks like he is going to say something grave and polite and probably pretty honest and since that’ll be the moment she’ll chicken out, V doesn’t let him. She goes with „and I am attracted to you.“ When Takemura doesn’t react, his face still open and attentive, she clarifies, weakly „in the physical way. As well.“  
Takemura shifts away from her, and stares, apparently speechless.  
Ok, shit. V stands up abruptly, because the situation is a little easier to bear like this. „I am offering, to be clear. If you ever wanna take me up on it - all you’ll have to do is say the word.“  
„That - comes as a surprise“, Takemura says faintly. He doesn’t move.  
Well that is discouraging. Still, V does feel a liberating kick. She has dared to open her big mouth and say something straightforward and honest. Achievements. Living life as long as you can and all. That is what this is, and she does feel better immediately, although Takemura’s unchanged seated position and the bewilderment in his expression hurts a little.  
„Yeah. I mean - that doesn’t change anything between us. I really liked working with you, and I'd be glad to have you on board for Tucson. I also noticed you think NC stinks. And its people. But I got the impression you had gotten used to me.“  
„You made getting used to you easy“, he says, and there is so much honesty and something soft, almost tender in his voice that V can’t bear it. „Yeah“, she does her best to stomp her own emotions back down her throat. „No need to let me down gently. I’m a big girl, I can take direct answers.“  
He breathes, and stands as well. „No. This is not letting you down.“ He is silent for another moment. „I am surprised“ He rasps a little. "I would like some time to think."  
Oh crap. How V has grown to hate waiting. "Right", she mutters, and manages to joke „It is time for reconaissance, I guess.“  
He nods. "It is." He reaches out for her. "Let's end this conversation on that note."  
"Sure". Now, V doesn't manage to look into his face, and rather checks their surroundings. Mick is sitting next to the fire, dreamy. The guards have just chaged, and Andrew, who had been first, nods at them as he comes to sit by the fire. "I'll extinguish this in half an hour", he tells them. "You can go."  
V thanks him, a little too brightly.  
Takemura insists on accompanying her to her and Panam's vehicle.  
"Good Night, V", he says, and takes her hand to press it for just a moment. She presses his fingers back, and is mostly glad she hasn't lost her partner. Ball is in his court now.

This night, V curls into her seat and finally listens to all the unheard messages on her memory. She curses and almost cries, again, because they make her remember why she blew the Mikoshi offer: she wanted to say goodbye in person, after all.

V deletes Hanako's message, though. Fucking bitch won't get V into her clutches to go waste the months she still has. Or Takemura's, if she can help it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your kudos! Especially despite the typo blindness I have. They make me super happy.


End file.
